Easy Pancakes

There's endless ways to make pancakes! Here's a quick & easy recipe that uses basic ingredients and doesn't require flour.

                          EASY BLUEBERRY PANCAKES
                                  To serve ONE - 4 small pancakes

          1/3 cup rolled oats
          1 generously heaped Tablespoon ground flax seeds
          1 small overripe banana
          1/3 cup soymilk
          1/8 teaspoon each vanilla essence, ground cinnamon
          2 Tablespoons blueberries (optional)

In a food processor combine the oats, flax, banana, soymilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Pulse several times until the mixture comes together but is not completely broken down.
Stir through the blueberries if you're using them.
Heat a non-stick frying pan, then reduce to medium heat. Pour the batter into the frying pan in quarter lots to make 4 small pancakes. As the pancakes begins to bubble around the sides, flip and allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

Serve with toppings of choice - shown with soy yogurt & raspberries.

NOTE: For pancakes that have a lower calorie density you can replace the soymilk with water.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What's your favourite topping for pancakes?

Blueberry Breakfast Muffins

These are a delicious, sugar fee, oil-free, yet moist muffin. They are easy to make and we often prepare them the day before if we will be staying somewhere overnight and want a quick and easy breakfast. My husband always said he didn't like blueberry muffins..... now he LOVES them!

BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST MUFFINS

To make 4 jumbo muffins you'll need:

1 cup oats

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1 cup dates (soaked in boiling water)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup motherless milk of choice

Optional extras:

2 Tablespoons chocolate chips

small handful of walnuts

In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking powder, flax seeds and cinnamon. 

Place the drained dates, milk, and vanilla in a blender and blend til smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir til combined. Add the blueberries and fold through the batter gently.

Pour into a lined or lightly sprayed jumbo muffin tin.

Top with crumbled walnuts if desired.

Place in a preheated 180C oven for 25-30 muffins until cooked through.

 

ENJOY! :-)

Question of the day:
What's your favourite muffin flavour?

Summer breakfast ideas

I am a breakfast preson :-)
I just LOVE having breakfast - however, I must admit that I find I get bored with breakfast easily.
Here's 2 recipes that I've been loving over summer when it's too hot for having warm oats..... and I'm not bored with them!

Blueberry Buckwheat Breakfast

3/4 cup buckwheat
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 medjool date, pitted
splash of motherless milk
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Place the buckwheat in a bowl of water and soak overnight.
In the morning drain the buckwheat and place in a blender with the blueberries, date and motherless milk. Pulse a few times until the mixture is combined and broken down but not completely smooth.
Serve in a bowl with the flax. 

 

  So creamy and delicious :-)

Anything purple is appealing to me!

Banana Soaked Mango Oats

1 banana
1 teaspoon coconut essence
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 mango

Place the banana and coconut essence in a blender with just enough cold water to cover it. Blend til smooth.
Place the oats and flax in a bowl and pour over the banana mixture. 
Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. 
The mixture will thicken and the oats will fluff up slightly.
Serve with a sliced mango.

Tropical flavours for breakfast :-)

So refreshing. 

 

Question of the day:
Do you prefer something different for breakfast in summer than winter?

Meatless Monday - Blueberries

Welcome to another edition of the Meatless Monday A-Z challenge hosted by Better With Veggies.

Today I'm creating with blueberries!

Similar to last week, I decided to combine some flavours that I hadn't tried together before to see how it worked out!
And also similar to last week I can say that I'm in love with the result!
I love how these muffins are like a sweet & sour flavour.
The tang of the lemon combines wonderfully with the unique flavour of blueberries. Definitely a winner! :-)

BLUEBERRY LEMON MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen - your choice)
1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 1/4 cup plant milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of half a lemon

Mix the flax seeds with 2 Tablespoons water and mix well. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and sugar. Stir well. 
Add the blueberries making sure to coat them in the flour (this helps them not stick together in the mixture and also to help them not sink when baked).
Make a well in the center of the dry mix and stir in the milk, lemon juice, and flax mixture. Stir well. Add the zest.
Pour batter evenly into into a muffin baking tray that has been either oil-sprayed or lined. 
Bake in a preheated 180C oven for approx 30 minutes until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Oven times will vary for each oven and also depending on the size of your muffin top ;-)  
Optional: Sprinkle the tops of your muffins with more lemon zest.

Blueberry Tip: 
Although blueberries are on the dirty dozen list, I often find it difficult to source organic ones. 
Did you know you can remove a large amount of pesticides by washing your produce?
I recommend washing your blueberries in a mix of 1/2 cup white vinegar to 2 cups water. Sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse them off. You can dry them in a salad spinner. 
This can also lengthen the life of your berries - if they last in your fridge, they never seem to hang around long at our place ;-)

Purple Mousse

Surely by now you know that I'm a fan of the colour purple!
But purple dessert!!! Mmmmm now that's got to be my favourite type of 'purple'! 

 
To make the mousse simply combine the following few ingredients in a mini food processor or blender:

100g soft tofu
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
one pitted medjool date
2 Tablespoons plant-milk (or more if your blender needs)

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Serve!

So easy & so delicious!

Try some of my other purple recipes:
Purple breakfast
Purple pasta

What's your favourite colour? Do you enjoy eating food that is your favourite colour?

Unprocessed - Start of Week 3

Monday

Breakfast was oats with 'blueberry sauce' - made by blending frozen bluberries with a date and enough milk to combine. Definitely one of my favourites!

Lunch was the leftover half of my burger from last night with some home-made chips. 
I simply cut one potato (skin on) and covered with paprika and sage. Baked at 200C, spread out on a baking sheet for 40 minutes. 

For afternoon tea I had an orange and a handful of prunes and 5 brazeil nuts! Dinner was a stir fry with peanut sauce, served over brown rice.

Tonight's dessert was a total indulgence!
Microwave chocolate cake with creamed coconut milk (difference from the linked recipe is no chocolate bits in the centre and no sugar!).

How to make creamed coconut milk:


Place a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or longer).
When you are ready to use it, remove the top of the can and scoop out all the part that is 'set'.

Put into a bowl and add a teaspoon of vanilla and a tablespoon of sweetner of choice.
Whisk until light, fluffy and thick.

Tuesday

Breakfast was brown rice with raisins and cinnamon.

For lunch I made red lentil soup and had a bread roll with it.
In a pot combine 2 carrots, one potato, one onion & half cup red lentils. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blend.
Delicious soup!

Dinner was another easy night. I am flat out this week organising my daughter's party that's coming up this weekend.
Gotta love an easy meal that taste good.
I chopped various veggies and sauteed with mixed beans and tomatoes. 

For dessert I had no pastry apple pie. I altered this recipe by using hazelnut in place of almond & rolled rye in place of oats, and omitting the raisins. Still delicious though! And topped with creamed coconut milk.

DID YOU KNOW?

A single serving of hazelnuts makes up nearly 20% of our recommended daily need of Vitamin E. Vitamin E doesn't occur naturally in our bodies. Vitamin E helps to fight free radicals that cause cancer.

Unprocessed Weekend #1

Weekends usually have quite random for mealtimes for us!

I am not usually motivated to make anything special. And often our meals aren't at regular times.

 

Saturday's breakfast was had at 12 noon!
It was a chocolate smoothie made with blueberries, banana, spinach, and cocoa. So tasty!












Of course that meant I wasn't particularly hungry come 'lunchtime'! ;-)

At about 3pm I made myself a mini pineapple microwave cake. 
I mixed some spelt flour with some pineapple and maple syrup. 
Put it in the microwave for 2 minutes and then covered it with pure prune spread. 


So simple and so tasty!

For dinner we enjoyed a pizza and movie night :-)
I used the polenta base I had made earlier in the week. It kept well in the freezer. 
Topping was mushrooms, onion & capsicum with my pizza cheeze sauce on top.

Sunday
Breakfast was blueberry choc-oat pancakes. They are soooo tasty. I LOVE using oatbran in pancakes - makes them so delicious. I definitely recommend trying this recipe.

We went out for the day & had lunch at a cafe.
I ordered a chick-pea salad with sourdough....
And this is what I got?!?!?!?!?

I'm not quite sure how this is a chick-pea salad with sourdough... but I didn't dare complain since it took them 45 minutes to bring this out! I couldn't bare the thought of waiting another 45 minutes for what I actually ordered. It looked quite nice but it was so dry :-( I definitely WON'T be going back to that cafe.... ~ever~. None the less, I should just be grateful I got a vegan meal :-)

 

At 6pm I realised it was that time of day when I'm supposed to be sorting out dinner! Sometimes that really just feels overwhelming doesn't it?!?!?!? Am I the only one who feels like that? lol
I felt hungry and didn't want to be tempted to grab a ~packet~ of something to nibble on so I had a banana while I decided what to make for dinner.



Come to think of it - a banana is quite a funny looking thing isn't it!!!!???

I reckon if you'd never seen one before it could provide a little bit of a chuckle!



For dinner I ended up making a 'stew' type thing?!? I don't really know what to call it.
I just water sauteed 1 onion, 1 potato with a handful of button mushrooms and lentils. Added a tablespoon of salt free tomato paste. Topped with oregano.

Results = AMAZINGLY TASTY DINNER THAT WAS HASSLE FREE! Perfect for weekends!

Blueberry Choc-Oat Pancakes

My kind of breakfast! 

You'll need:

3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup plant milk
1/4 cup frozen blueberries

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. 

Make pancakes :-)

Serve with fresh blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup! Adds a nice touch of sweetness to your pancakes.

 Breakfast perfection!

Makes 6 pancakes.

Mixed fruit dessert

As you probably know by now - I am addicted to freezing bananas and using them to make dessert :-)

Have you tried any of these tasty desserts yet?

• banana soft serve
• choc-cherry dessert
• pumpkin pie mousse

Here is another variation you can whizz up in no time & enjoy as a guilt free evening treat.

In a mini food processor combine

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

3 medjool dates (pitted)

1 Tablespoon cocoa or cacao powder

100ml almond milk (or other milk of choice)

Blend until smooth

Enjoy :-)

Weekend Oats

I promised you a week worth of oats and so I shall deliver!
Did you really think I had forgotten the weekend?!?!?

Of course not!
I was just preparing something special.....

When I think of the weekends, I think of special breakfast. In our home that usually means pancakes or waffles. So of course, I had to incorporate those into our week worth of oats.

Here's what you get for the weekend:

Oatmeal Waffles

In a food processor (it is the weekend so there'll be time to wash-up later!) combine 1 cup oats, 1/2 large banana  (or one small) 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 Tablespoon cashews and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Blend until a smooth batter is formed.

Pour into your pre-warmed waffle maker & cook for recommended time. I find its best to have the waffle maker on the highest temperature for this mixture or else the oats can be a little under cooked. That is if you don't mind quite brown waffles of course!

Enjoy with running maple syrup or jam on top :-)

(Makes approx 3 waffles to make approx 5 use 1 1/2 cup oats, 1 whole banana, 1 cup soymilk & 2 T cashews.)

 

 Cheesecake Pancakes

 In a small bowl combine 3/4 cup oat-bran (either store bought or made yourself) with  1/4 cup wholemeal flour. In another small bowl or jug whisk together 1 cup vanilla soymilk, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, & 3 Tablespoons tofutti cream cheese.  Whisk until there is no big lumps of the cream cheese remaining.


Stir 1/2 cup frozen blueberries into the oat/flour mixture & stir well.

Combine the wet & the dry ingredients and stir well.

Lightly spray a frying pan with oil. Drop spoonfuls into the pan.

Fry until the edges begin to bubble, then flip the pancakes & fry the other side until lightly golden brown.

Serve with more maple syrup dribbled over the top, or jam, or whatever you desire.

Mixture serves 2.